July 2023 officially declared hottest month ever on the planet

In a stark reminder of the escalating climate crisis, July 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest month ever recorded, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

This follows June's record-breaking heat, marking an alarming trend in global temperature increases.

Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus, stated that 2023 is currently the third warmest year on record, with temperatures in July reaching 1.5 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial levels.

"We just witnessed global air temperatures and global ocean surface temperatures set new all-time records in July," she said, emphasising the urgent need for ambitious efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver behind these record-breaking temperatures.

The sweltering heat has had a global impact, with record temperatures registered from Death Valley in California to a township in northwest China. Wildfires have also raged in Canada and southern Europe, further highlighting the devastating effects of climate change.

A recent study by Climate Central, a science nonprofit, revealed that human-induced global warming made July unbearably hot for four out of every five people on Earth. The research found that over 2 billion individuals experienced climate change-boosted warmth daily throughout the month.

The study utilised climate fingerprinting methods to analyse temperatures across the globe in real-time, comparing recorded temperatures to a simulated world without climate change.

The results were startling, underscoring the urgent need for global action to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

As the world continues to grapple with the escalating climate crisis, these record-breaking temperatures serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for decisive action.

With each passing month, the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe, underscoring the urgent need for global cooperation and action to mitigate this existential threat.